How to build good credit in college

College is often a time for you to live your life and party. It is also a time to get a higher education and think about the future.

Talking about the future, you might think about what kind of career you want to have and where you’ll live when you graduate.

However, we don’t think about credit and simple things we can do to enhance our credit score before we graduate. 

There are many events on campus that we attend, and we always need a new outfit for it. We shop so much without thinking how shopping can improve our credit score. Many stores offer the option for you to get a credit card for the store. This can give you the opportunity to shop at your favorite stores while increasing your credit score. You can buy the items you want with the credit card and then pay off the credit card as the months go by. 

However, you need to keep up with the payment and stay on time to get those points added to your credit score. You won’t have to pay the amount all at once so don’t feel guilty buying those shoes you don’t really need because you won’t break the bank all at once. However, be sure to keep the balance on the card low because you don’t want to be paying off high amounts each month. It will make it harder to maintain the payment, resulting in a lower credit score. 

Paying off student debt while you’re still in college can make all the difference when you graduate. You won’t have to worry about paying off as many loans when you leave college, and as you can guess, it will improve your credit. You don’t even have to pay them monthly. When you have the money, you can pay it off dime by dime. 

If you are one of those college students who has a job or a way of making a living, a way to work on your credit score is by paying your own phone bill if you don’t already. It sounds so simple, right? Some phone companies like T-mobile increase your credit score after a year of on-time payments. Something so simple but so independent can lead to a better future in the long run. 

Some students are fortunate enough to have a car while they’re at college. If you are one of those fortunate students, you can help your credit score by paying the insurance or the car note. Doing this can help you get a feel of what it’s like to pay bills and what it’s going to be like when you’re really on your own. 

Good credit is something that can take you a long way. College is prime time for students to think about the future and how far they’re able to go. Why not get a head start in life by doing these simple tasks to make your post-graduate life a little easier? If you don’t have a car, but you partake in the other tips, you’ll have an easier time getting a car because your credit score will have progressed. 

Email Tamiyha Carter at fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com